Layal K ~ ليال

What am I?

I can’t answer this question..I can’t find the category I fit in…I don’t know if it’s bad or not…Should I be like this or I’m just lost in this world…Is it my world or should I look for mine (if any) somewhere else…There are lots of life aspects I can’t fit in…But the only torturing two are Religion and Society!!

Religion
I’m not an atheist but I don’t see myself following ANY of the current religions…yes current…I don’t believe that today’s Islam is the true Islam, I don’t believe that today’s Christianity is the true Christianity, I don’t believe that todays Judaism is the true Judaism, I believe in Science AND Spirituality..to me, They’re ONE…I don’t trust any religious figures…I believe in God, The powerful supreme energy, Fate, Allah or whatever the term you use…I believe in the afterlife…I believe in Good and Evil…I believe that everyone should worship(or not) whoever s/he wants….I hate sectarianism…I believe that Morals came before Religion not the opposite…Religion just documented them…I believe that we have a very powerful brain and we should use it…and I believe that we make our own destinies..
Then what am I?

Society
Ours is very very very bad…We’re in desperate need for a pimp-my-society makeover project…I hate sexism…I hate ageism…I hate prejudice…I hate how it’s a masculine society…I hate how feminism is so wrong in here…I hate how our society is very shallow…I hate how it’s using globalisation wrongly…I hate how the most important issues that affects the society are only taboos…I hate how it’s trying to be like WORSE societies!! People should always try to be better no??
I want to help to make it better…but how??? People don’t listen..and I hate that!!! I know some people think the same way..but why do I still feel completely alone??

What am I??? I feel I’m right but lost, I feel I don’t fit in here but at the same time I can’t live anywhere else!!! Why??

I don’t know if I make sense or it’s just PMS…I didn’t plan this post…I’m just angry and wanted to let it out…By the way, I might quit my job tomorrow!!!

On Being a Lebanese Female in Egypt- Part 3 (Leb Girls)

Okay this part is more like of a question to anyone who would like to answer…Also it may apply to any Arab country not only Egypt…

Since high school days started (in my 15-17 years of age), I’ve preferred not to tell my nationality in Egypt to new people I meet unless they ask. Why? Because I always got this “Oh you’re slut?” look…So no I wasn’t shy with who I am, I was afraid of them starting to act as if I am one!!(Some DID!!).
For example:
-Oh you’re Lebanese?! I love Lebanon very much..
-Really?? Ever been there??
-No! But I want to…I watch LBC!! *that look*
-…

You think it’s just about new people who don’t know me?! Try hearing this from your school friends(?) on a regular basis: This is just a sample of many!!

-Next summer you’ll go Lebanon, You’ll come back pregnant!!! Ha Ha Ha (Yeah I was supposed to laugh!!)
-Why is it always hot in Lebanon?! I want to go there to see “mozaz”, get me some when you come back!
-Yeah I can see why you don’t wear the veil, you’re Lebanese!!
-You need an Egyptian guy, Lebanese men are gay!!
-How do you dress in Lebanon?? *with that look of anticipation and a silly smile*
-How come you’re single…you’re Lebanese!!!! (as if there’s a law that forbids single girls to exist or something…)

My question is: why?!! How can a whole country be judged just from one or two TV station?? And please note I don’t look like “LBC girls” at all. I’m barely attractive!!! So I really don’t get it!

It’s just a simple why…I really have nothing to say about this matter. But I had to include it in this “diary parts” because I had to go through this everday….till NOW!!!

وآكلة

هوا لبنان للبيع
لوين رايحين أصحاب هالفكرة؟؟ تفاهة أكثر من هيك بعد مافي
…
ما عم بفهم إنّو عم يطعموا العالم هوا أو شو؟؟

PS:This was supposed to be posted in April-11, I don’t know why it was still a draft!!
Well, Better late than never…

Twitter, Watwet and Jaiku

It’s true that twitter was the first who introduces the concept of mini blogging and the guys there were pretty good at the beginning, adding new features all the time according to the users’ activities and so on. But lately, they’ve been (to me) a complete failure after they changed their international number. And for some reason it stopped working in Lebanon and some other countries including Egypt as I received complaints from fellow twitterers…Dear Egyptian twitterers, don’t bother to contact them because it’s useless, their reply (if any) will be a list of the supported networks (which will include yours ofcourse) and that’s it. I wish I have the email they sent me but I deleted it long time ago..

So what are the alternatives?!?! Quitting mini blogging isn’t an option ofcourse, once you get used to it you can’t quit it. Believe me I tried!!
What else?!

1. There’s watwet, a new member to the toot and ikbis families (are there others?). It’s not bad but it doesn’t offer anything new and
a. The mobile service only supports Zain (in Jordan) numbers. I hope it’s just for now and that they’ll add more in the future. But even if they did, I doubt I’ll use it (although I created an account there).

b. Why? look at the public timeline..It reminds me of Melody Tunes SMS bar….

c. They have this upload photos section, via the web or MMS. It’s a nice idea but I don’t need it that much in mini blogging. It would be much better if I can post photos I uploaded on ikbis of flickr instead of uploading them in watwet all over again…Bloggers don’t need an extra place to upload photos!!

d. Oh..And I don’t remember reading somewhere about IM-watweting or adding some badges to a blog or something (you can use your feed for now if you want to).

So as a start, watwet isn’t bad but not good enough..

2. There’s Jaiku..and it’s now the Google’s twitter..I have to say I was impressed!!
a. Mobile-Jaikuing works!!!!!

b. They have this “add feeds” option, you can add any feed (rss or atom) to your account and your jaiku timeline will be updated with anything new on the feeds. I loved this one!! very much! I added my twitter feed..LOL

c. IM-Jaikuing works too, and the supported services are Google Talk, LiveJournal, and Jabber. AIM, Yahoo, and MSN are supported too via IMfied. It’s pretty annoying though that they add too much info in your IM-Jaiku-updates, such as the link of the updated and the original message (if it’s a reply) or a link of the posted item (if it’s a feed). But it’s fine I’ll get used to it I guess..

d. When you add a contact, you can choose what you get from him/her not everything. For example, I can choose to only receive Jaiku and flickr updates from a contact and exclude his/her delicious tags. I love this one too

UPDATE, I forgot this:
e. Channels, it’s new…you create your own channels about anything, and get your friends to join them. This concept of categorizing your updates is amazing!!!


I don’t know if there are any other alternatives. If you happen to know please tell me but I guess I’ll stick to Jaiku for now, obviously it’s is my winner!!! UPDATE:Now the only problem with Jaiku is that it’s not Twitter. The community in twitter is large and you can find almost anything there. Jaiku still doesn’t have that, I hope by time they’ll get there…and I hope that by time, they’ll get rid of the “twitter-like” in their description on the web..

And what’s with the weird names?!?! Is it a must for mini blogging services to have a funny name?? 😛

One more thing, Good morning 🙂 It’s a nice day today, I feel it!! Wish you a great day as well!!

The power of people is always stronger!!

There’s nothing harder than having a son(?) of your own country occupying your own country!! That’s what the Egyptian people is facing in my opinion..Their land, their souls, their bread, their lives and everything they have are taken away from them by the Egyptian(?) tyrant regime!!!

Mubarak, did you believe that you can keep the protests and the “NO” behind the university campuses forever?!!? did you really think that you can arrest all of these young men and women?!?! kill them?? torture them??? and even if you did do that…do you really believe that it kill or simply erase the idea of bringing you down??? You can’t be stronger than the power of the people…no matter how powerful you or your masters are!!

And please, next time (if any) when you lecture about democracy, please remember Israa Abdel Fatah who’s in custody because of practicing her least rights as a citizen..calling for a strike!!!!
When you talk about democracy, remember AlMahalla, and how you’re killing them because they dared to live…and you can’t lie about or cover it!!! Arresting bloggers and journalists isn’t going to hide what you’re doing to your(?) people…

And oh…Enjoy your birthday in the 4th of May, ra7 t2oum el denye w ma to23od!!! They’re sending the invitation cards from now!!!

PS: No matter how I talk about what’s going on there, I won’t be just and good ofcourse as this blog: 6 April 2008’s Strike. Check it constantly to know what’s really going on there. Check this flickr account: Egypt Sons for real photos.

وسقط مبارك


وسقط مبارك, originally uploaded by Egypt Sons – أبناء مصر.

To Egypt..

To the Egyptians who are going one strike today (April 6th)..
Good Luck..I know it might not solve everything, but it’s good enough to start with..

To the Egyptians who are not…
STRIKE..save your present and your future…PLEASE!!!
Have faith in yourselves..
You represent the power of people..
Have faith in that too..It can make a difference!!

Again..Wishing you the BEST of Luck..

هس إمك نايمة

سمعتها عالراديو كذا مرّة
المغني بيبهدل السياسيين بالدبكة هيدي
وبآخر كل جملة بيقول
وهس إمك نايمة
كتير معجبة أنا بالفكرة
😀
المشكلة إنو مابعرف إسم الفنان (إيه فن رائع هيدا)
😛

إذا حدا عنده فكرة كيف ممكن إحصل عليهاخبروني إذا بتسمحوا

Freaking Out!

I never had this butterflies-in-the-stomach thing!
And I sleep very well actually!!
I can’t stand your face when PMSing!!
I have no problem with food when I miss you!
I don’t get jealous! It drives you crazy I know, get used to it!!
I don’t show “emotions” like you do!!
Sometimes you notice I’m not okay, I tell you the opposite, I lie!

I’m just freaking out right now!!
Every night I freak out and I think “What did I get myself into?”
Every night I think of ending everything!!
Everything… I guess you’re everything now!
That’s what makes me forget the freaking out when I see you the next day!!
That’s what gives me the reason to freak out again the next night!!
It’s not how I feel when you’re not around, It’s how I feel when you are!!

So until the time comes where we can share our nights…
I’ll freak out!!

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Lebanese/Arabic Technology Terms

It’s funny how we use English Technical Terms in our Arabic sentences. I managed to think of some words, please be free to add more:

Sayyiv–> To save
Tallat–> Usually referred to computers and now to people’s brains!
Next next next–> Used to refer to how easy to install a program..by clicking “Next” repeatedly till you see a “Finish”
Windows Linux–> No Comment..damn you Gates!!
Ye7ro2 CD–> Burn!!
Fata7 Internet–> …
Birib (brb)–> And the answer would be teeet (tyt)
Mascil–> To miss call someone!
Copy Paste–> That’s how you research now!!
Bawwit–> To Boot the Windows Linux 😛

On Being a Lebanese Female in Egypt- Part 2 (Liberation)

So I’m still in Egypt, still at the same school, same friends, same street…etc. It’s the year 2000, the year when the Zionist army finally left the Lebanese Soil (except for Shebaa farms) because of the amazing Lebanese resistance. I remember waking up and watching my parents staring at the TV, they didn’t believe it, I didn’t believe it. It was an amazing feeling, I was very proud, very happy, Adrenaline was having a one hell of a party in my veins!!!! Of course we called our family relatives in Lebanon, to make sure it’s true! LOL we didn’t believe that it was happening. I personally enjoyed the parts on TV reports that showed how excited the Zionist soldiers were about the same thing! Yes they were happy they’re leaving the nightmare they lived in!!

We went out later that day, I can’t remember where. But I remember that when we reached the apartment’s door, a guy approached us and said “Mabrouk, Rafa3to Rasna” (Meaning Congrats, You honored us). I can’t describe how I felt. It was simply amazing.

That stranger and few(1 or 2) close friends probably were the only persons who congratulated us. My friends were happy for me when I told them about it. It didn’t bother me really that they didn’t call, and it doesn’t bother me even now. We Arabs are weird! They’re the same friends who BOOed, and I’m the same person who cried!!! It was still Egypt, and it was still Lebanon. Isn’t it logical for the BOO to become a YAAY?

…to be continued!

I’m nightS, and I’m addicted to the virtual world..

I’ve decided to stay away from the laptop/internet on Sundays!
It worked today (sort of)
And on Saturdays, I’ll be online only if it’s SUPER important and for the Global Voices بالعربية work

I hope I can do this…
This addiction must stop!!